During December 2014 we will have promotion for TrueArt's Modeling Pack
http://modelingpack.trueart.eu
which will be available with $50 discount to the New Year's Eve.

If you're our customer already, you can get into pack with even bigger discount.
Please contact me if you're interested in this opportunity.

I wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Best Regards!

ps. 6 December is Polish Santa Claus Day, in which we're giving gifts to our friends and family.

Sensei

12-24-2014, 01:19 AM

Merry Christmas everybody.

I wish you many many successful LightWave projects in the next year!

Areyos Alektor

12-28-2014, 03:47 PM

Thanks, you too :)

spherical

12-29-2014, 04:14 AM

I received an email containing the following edited section that differs from the original post in these forums:

If you're our customer already, you can get into pack (or upgrade to the latest version of pack) with even bigger discount.
Please contact me if you're interested in this opportunity.

For a while now, I had been meaning to ask about how we, as purchasers of the Modeling Pack and Global Materials, receive updates to these plugins. I do not find any resource on the website or anything in the activation emails that indicates how this is achieved. From what I am reading above, I guess we are expected to pay more?

This, then, begs the question: "What has been updated in the 'latest version of pack' and why do current licensees not automatically receive updates?" Additions and new tools are one thing, but there is no such thing as bug-free software, so updates and bug fixes are a fact of life. I don't mind a charge for a completely new tool, but re-paying for tools that have not changed for years and years is another story altogether. Please enlighten me, cuz' I'm a bit confused at this.

Sensei

12-29-2014, 04:33 AM

(...) and why do current licensees not automatically receive updates?

I stopped sending automatically e-mails with updates after ISP banned my previous e-mail because they noticed that 30-40% of e-mails with attachments that I sent to older plugin clients (years 2002-2009) returned undelivered..

This month I was sending e-mails to clients that bought after ~11 October 2009 (day when they banned my mail account, and had to make new one). And even still 13 e-mail addresses were undeliverable.

but there is no such thing as bug-free software, so updates and bug fixes are a fact of life.

Sorry, but I didn't receive any e-mails from you concerning stability or bug reports at my private mail...
If you found something, then record video VirtualDub/Camtasia and send me e-mail, and I will see what can be done with it..

ps. You have pretty recent version of Pack. That message was general to all customers. It's impossible to make unique message when there is thousands of mails. Sorry.

spherical

12-29-2014, 11:45 PM

OK. We're not quite on the same page, but getting there. Thanks for your response.

I stopped sending automatically e-mails with updates after ISP banned my previous e-mail because they noticed that 30-40% of e-mails with attachments that I sent to older plugin clients (years 2002-2009) returned undelivered.

I know that all ISPs are not the same and that you may not have as wide a choice on who to use, but them shutting down your email account because of bounces seems a bit Draconian.

This month I was sending e-mails to clients that bought after ~11 October 2009 (day when they banned my mail account, and had to make new one). And even still 13 e-mail addresses were undeliverable.

13 is not an unreasonable number, by any means; especially when considered percentagewise; AND if it is out of thousands.

Sorry, but I didn't receive any e-mails from you concerning stability or bug reports at my private mail...

All users will not find all bugs. I may not have, but others may have and having updated plugins that fix these issues will prevent other users from encountering them. I check the changelog section at the bottom of discreet plugin pages, but that doesn't seem to be updated. If you only send out new versions to users who encounter bugs and report them, the others go along unaware, that's a huge matrix to try to keep track of.

I realize that you have a system for delivery set up that has worked for quite a long time but, in the present atmosphere, I would suggest setting up user-specific areas on your web server where licensed users can login and retrieve new versions as they may appear. This way, your heads-up emails can be minimal in size; only announcing that a new version of X plugin is available. You could further eliminate pressure on your ISP's email system by starting a TrueArt Plugins thread in the Third-Party section and make announcements of new versions there. Eliminate the email announcements altogether, as users will know to come here to keep up-to-date. Then, the email is even less of an issue; if any at all.

Just a different way of looking at things and how most efficiently to get things done and care for your userbase; which I gather is fairly extensive. You put a lot of effort into your videos. Time for a new paradigm on the customer service side?

Sensei

12-30-2014, 09:46 PM

I check the changelog section at the bottom of discreet plugin pages, but that doesn't seem to be updated.

Their pages were not updated because there was no bugs to fix. No new bug reports and I didn't find anything wrong. One exception is Node Library - too many of updates to include them all in history.

Typical problem lies in LW. Especially in alpha/beta stage something is broken. Then somebody tells me that something doesn't work, and it turns out to be issue with LW.
Several times NT dev used plugin's user data for her own purpose. Then I told her that it's plugin user data, not LW user data. The next year she made exactly the same error..
But recompilation with new LWSDK was immediate cure to this, without having to wait for updated LW (internal beta build).

If somebody is using plugin, not sold LW yet, and interested about all this stuff, he/she is reporting issues and subscribed to my mailing-lists and YouTube channel and will be informed automatically when something new appears.

I would suggest setting up user-specific areas on your web server where licensed users can login and retrieve new versions as they may appear.

I am working on new website. With user area etc. and better optimized for search engines, using URL rewrite engine.

But better idea would be started with system stand-alone application/special plugin like Layout Master for updating. Everytime it's run, it should be checking for updates asking website whether new one are available. And if they're, downloading them and telling user about it. Like Steam/LiveUpdate.

spherical

12-30-2014, 09:54 PM

Their pages were not updated because there was no bugs to fix. No new bug reports and I didn't find anything wrong.

IIRC, there were some that I knew had been recently updated, but the page only showed circa: 2009 in the changelog. Can't remember offhand what plugin it was, but I'll try.

I am working on new website. With user area etc. and better optimized for search engines, using URL rewrite engine.

But better idea would be started with system stand-alone application/special plugin like Layout Master for updating. Everytime it's run, it should be checking for updates asking website whether new one are available. And if they're, downloading them and telling user about it. Like Steam/LiveUpdate.

Both are good approaches. Good move, but I would suggest a user-set time period that the check for updates is triggered. Either that, or hard code it to weekly or monthly; not at every launch.